blind spot

This is the ninth of 10 blind spots that may be sabotaging your effectiveness.

Blind Spot #9—Not Taking a Stand. What it Means.

Do you avoid making decisions, postpone them, or make decisions that are unclear? Does this apply to you? If it does, you don’t take a stand for what you want and you’re letting others down.

The Downside of Sitting on the Fence

Do you delay decisions much too long? Or, do you avoid making them altogether? If your answer is “yes”, your behavior drives everyone crazy. Your lack of decisiveness cripples your coworkers and team. No one can move forward. To others, you’re a fence-sitter, someone who stares off into the clouds contemplating a decision without regard to the consequences of not making one.

Your indecisive behavior is a sure-fire recipe for your own ineffectiveness. Others will lose their enthusiasm when you don’t take a stand. They will disengage and look for someone who is strong and decisive. Your name will be on the short list of people to avoid.

Do YOU Avoid Taking a Stand?

Ask others to assess your behavior using the scale of 1 (rarely) to 5 (frequently).

How do you rate?

32 to 40: Your indecisiveness is not an attractive or useful quality. People may like you, but they won’t follow you.

17 to 31: You’re inconsistent. Make a decision and take a bold stand. This is what people want from you.

8 to 16: Others appreciate your willingness to go out on the skinny branches. Keep being decisive as long as your decisions forward the action.

Want More?

Read the book Fearless Leadership and the anti-blogs on the 10 Blind Spots.

This is the seventh of 10 blind spots that may be sabotaging your effectiveness.

Blind Spot #7—Conspiring Against Others. What it Means

Conspiring is a strong but necessary word when it comes to describing this lethal blind spot.

People who conspire against others: 1) Actively participate in negative conversations about an individual/group that is not present, 2) Silently endorse negative comments about others by not speaking up, or 3) Attack others’ credibility which raises suspicions.

The Downside of Building Silos and Camps

Do you participate in deadly water-cooler conversations? Do you silently endorse nasty attacks on others? Do you influence others to agree with your negative viewpoint?

If you engage in conspiracies—actively or passively—you are on a guaranteed path of destruction. People will view you as a snake and shun you. Even your co-conspirators—the people who agree with you—will not trust you. They know you will throw them under the bus in a moment and they’re correct.

You’ll lose it all—friends, trust, job promotions.

Do YOU Conspire against Others?

Ask others to assess your behavior using the scale of 1 (rarely) to 5 (frequently).

How do you rate?

32 to 40: You are profoundly hurt, disappointed, and/or angry and it’s showing in your behavior. Stop! You are self-destructing.

17 to 31: Sometimes you’re good; sometimes you’re horrid. Do you want this reputation? Apologize and get on a constructive path.

8 to 16: You steer clear of negative conversations. But do you stand up for others?

Want More?

Read the book Fearless Leadership and the anti-blogs on the 10 Blind Spots.

Dr. Loretta Malandro is the CEO of the Malandro Consulting Group (www.malandro.com) and the author of several landmark business communication books including: Fearless Leadership, Say It Right the First Time, and her new book, “Speak Up, Show Up, and Stand Out: The 9 Communication Rules You Need to Succeed”.

This is the third of 10 blind spots that can sabotage your effectiveness.

Blind Spot #3—Having an “I Know” Attitude. What it Means

Do you have an answer for everything? Do you feel the need to defend your views? These are tip-offs that you may have an “I know” attitude.
If you have an “I know” attitude it means that you think you have all the answers. You dismiss others’ input and you have the need to be right.

The Downside of Having an “I Know” Attitude

Is your need to be right much stronger than your need to be effective?
If this is the case, others will label you as: a tyrant, obnoxious, or a bully just to name a few. People will avoid you at all costs, feel exhausted just being around you, and walk away feeling diminished and inadequate.

Do YOU Have an “I Know” Attitude?

Ask others to rate you on the following items using the scale of 1 (rarely) to 5 (frequently). Resist your knee-jerk reaction to skip this part because you already know what others will say!

How do you rate?

32 to 40: You’re in the danger zone. You come across as needing to be right about everything.

17 to 31: You irritate others. Not all the time, but still too much of the time.

8 to 16: You come across as flexible and open to other’s viewpoints. Improve the little things.

Want More?

Read the book Fearless Leadership and the anti-blogs on The 10 Blind Spots.

Dr. Loretta Malandro is the CEO of the Malandro Consulting Group (www.malandro.com) and the author of several landmark business communication books including: Fearless Leadership, Say It Right the First Time, and her new book, “Speak Up, Show Up, and Stand Out: The 9 Communication Rules You Need to Succeed”.

This is the first of 10 blind spots that can sabotage your effectiveness.

Blind Spot #1—Going it Alone. What it Means

Do you believe that you should be able to handle everything by yourself? That it’s your responsibility to keep the weight of the world on your shoulders?
People who view themselves as self-sufficient and responsible frequently fall into the trap of going it alone. Going it alone—shouldering the burden yourself and not seeking (or rejecting) support from others—is the #1 blind spot.

The Downside of Going it Alone

Do people trust you to be open and honest in good times and bad? High performance teamwork requires this type of self-disclosure, mutual support, and trust.
If you are a team member or a team leader who goes it alone, others will feel excluded and minimized. When people can’t connect with the real and vulnerable you, they will comply, work around you, limit their contributions, and solve problems on their own without the benefit of your input.

Do YOU Go it Alone?

If you want the unvarnished truth, ask peers, direct reports, superiors, and your friends/family to assess you.
Directions: Use the scale of 1 (rarely) to 5 (frequently) to rate each item.

How do you rate?

32 to 40: No debate—you go it alone. Ask others for coaching and apply it.

17 to 31: You go it alone in certain situations. Discover what triggers you.

8 to 16: You seldom go it alone but that’s always room to grow.

Want More?

Dr. Loretta Malandro is the CEO of the Malandro Consulting Group (www.malandro.com) and the author of several landmark business communication books including: Fearless Leadership, Say It Right the First Time, and her new book, “Speak Up, Show Up, and Stand Out: The 9 Communication Rules You Need to Succeed”.